Bristol-based company Aardman has been nominated for an Oscar for its animated feature film, The Pirates! Band Of Misfits.

The film was released in 2012 and was Aardman's first 3-D stop-motion film.

The film is about a Pirate Captain who leads a band of buccaneers who remain fiercely loyal to him despite his shortcomings as a raider and pillager. The Captain is determined to capture the prestigious Pirate of the Year award.

Aardman is known for films made using stop-motion clay animation techniques_, particularly those featuring plasticine characters Wallace and Gromit. _